A POPULAR Weymouth attraction will be re-opening its doors in time for the Easter holidays after a turbulent end to last year that saw staff locked out of the premises by the landlord.

As reported, employees arrived at Sandworld at Lodmoor Country Park on the morning of September 28 to find the locks had been changed, with a solicitors' notice on the gate informing that the landlord had repossessed the building.

Then, in a positive turn of events, the future of the site appeared to have been secured after negotiations between Sandworld and their landlord to buy the remainder of the existing lease for the land it occupies.

Now the sand model attraction will be reopening its doors whilst the legal phase of the negotiations is dealt with by the council.

Linked to Weymouth's famous beachside sand gallery, Sandworld attracts thousands of tourists every year.

A spokesperson for Sandworld said: “We are currently going through the legal phase and we can’t comment on anything to do with it until it is all signed off. It’s currently with the council at the moment but we want everyone to know we are re-opening after what happened at the end of last year with Sandworld closing.”

Sandworld will welcome the public back on Saturday, April 9, just in time for Easter half term and with the theme,‘Around the World’.

The attraction took inspiration from natural landscapes around the world and moments that have played a part in our history – it will also feature some ‘fun fantasy’ worlds with characters that younger guests will enjoy.

The sculptures have been under construction over the winter with work on new sculptures continuing throughout the season, giving visitors the opportunity to watch the sand sculptors in action.

A spokesperson for Sandworld said: “We are excited to be re-opening our doors from Saturday April 9, our 2022 Open Day! You can meet the Easter bunny between 11am and 1pm and there will be photo opportunities and Easter treats aplenty.

“Throughout the Easter holidays we’ll have an egg-cellent trail with a fun fact quiz and delicious pries to win.”

Sandworld can be found at Lodmoor Country Park, Preston Beach Road and will be open daily from April 9 from 10.30am. Discounted day tickets and annual passes are now available to purchase at sandworld.co.uk